Apparatus for shoe manufacture



E. LILLBOB APPARATUS FOR SHOE MANUFACTURE March 23, 1965 9 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Nov. 28, 1960 March 23, 1965 E. LILLBOB APPARATUS FOR SHOE MANUFACTURE 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 28, 1960 Jnrenlan 43% xizzM March 23, 1965 ULLBOB 3,174,169

APPARATUS FUR SHOE MANUFACTURE Filed NOV. 28, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jnren/ar: i

March 23, 1965 E. LILLBOB APPARATUS FOR SHOE MANUFACTURE 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 28, 1960 Jnren/on March 23, 1965 E. LILLBOB APPARATUS FOR SHOE MANUFACTURE 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 28, 1960 March 1965 E. LILLBOB 3, 74,169

I APPARATUS FOR SHOE MANUFACTURE Filed Nov. 28, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 March 23, 1965 E. LILLBOB APPARATUS FQR SHOE MANUFACTURE 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed NOV. 28, 1960 Jnrenfar:

9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Nov. 28, 1960 March 23, 1965 E. LILLBOB 3,174,169

APPARATUS FOR SHOE MANUFACTURE Filed Nov. 28, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 ATTORNEY United States Patent 015cc ?a,l74,l59 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 3,174,169 AilARATUS FOR SHGE MANUFACTURE Erich Lillhob, 8 Sehumaunstrasse, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Filed Nov. 28, 1969,8er. No. 72,100 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 28, 1959, L 34,811; Apr. 1, 1960, L 35,790 2 Claims. (0. 12-101) This invention relates to the production of footwear and in particular to a machine for shaping shoe uppers over the lasts and insoles attached thereto. More particularly the invention has reference to a machine in which the previously finished upper is gripped by a plurality of grippers and pulled downwardly over the last which is supported bottom down in the machine, whereupon the lasting allowance of the upper is wiped over the margin of the insole which has previously been attached to the last in any known or convenient manner.

Whereas up to the present shoes were generally made by carrying out the functions of pulling over and lasting toes, heels and sides separately and on separate machines, it is the main object of this invention to carry out these functions practically simultaneously upon one single machine which, therefore, may be termed an allround lasting machine and, in this way, produce shoes quicker and cheaper as would be possible when separate machines are used as has been the custom hitherto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which allows of a remarkable saving of labor in that instead of two, three or more operators working on different parts of the shoes on separate machines as aforesaid, only one operator will be sufficient to perform the work of pulling and wiping toe, heel and sides in only one continuous operation.

Another object of the invention consists in the employment of unskilled labor for carrying out the said work instead of the several experienced operators which were required up to the present.

Still another object rests in the provision of a machine which will be. capable of producing practically every kind and make of shoes and boots, such as ordinary street shoes, casuals, dress shoes, flats, slippers, Californias, sports, and others, by using the same implements of the machine which, however, shall be exchangeable as for extreme sizes and shapes.

Yet another object is the production in one and the same machine of shoes having round, pointed, or square toes by simply carrying out suitable adjustments if necessary.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the provision of a machine in which means are provided to support a last, with the upper held thereto, from above so that the upper can be pulled downwardly all around the circumference of the last bottom. Said machine, further, is provided with gripping means -for the purpose, comprising closable jaws in the shape of the last bottom and made in separate but cooperating sections, preferably eight in all, between which the lasting allowance of the upper is seized. The gripping means are preferably so arranged as to be adapted to move in geometrical progression with regard to the last bottom for gripping the lasting allowance all around the same with the object of stretching the upper so as to make it fit snugly over the last.

Further means are provided in the machine according to the invention for wiping the pulled over lasting allowance, said means comprising a set of cooperating and mutually overlapping toe, heel, and side wipers, capable of being jointly contracted from an extended, or blown out, position to approximately resemble a geometric reduction of the last bottom and, thereby, to wipe the lasting allowance of the upper in one operation over the edge of the last or the insole respectively.

In order to allow the aforesaid functions being carried out the invention also provides means for clamping the last, with the upper thereon, in position for being operated upon; also .for closing and opening the gripping jaws all at the same time, further for advancing and retracting the wipers, also all at the same time, toward and away from the last, and manually or mechanically, pneumatically or hydraulically operated gears for effecting the said movements of clamping, gripping and wiping the upper in correct succession. v

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention by way of example. In these drawings, which are chiefly diagrammatic and in which like references refer to like parts throughout the illustrations,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wipers intheir extended or blown out position.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the wipers in their contracted position.

FIG. 4 illustrates the means for closing and opening the wipers.

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of the means illustrate in FIG. 4. i V

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a more elaborate form of the invention shown in FIG. 1 with parts being broken away for the better showing of others.

FIG. 7 represents a perspective view of the upper gripping device.

FIG. 8 is a cross section through the gripping device on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of a simple form of clamping device for holding an upper to the last.

FIG. 10 is a horizontal section through the clamp-ing device shown inFIG. 9. b

FIG. 11 illustrates diagrammatically a vertical section on line 1111 of FIG. 9, and

FIG. 12 a modified arrangement of the gripping device shown in FIG. 7.

FIG/13 is an enlarged partial view of the gripping members at one of their slideable overlapping connections.

The machine which is shown in FIG. 1 as an embodiment of the invention is of comparatively simple design and particularly adapted for the production of light footwear, such as house shoes, slippers, gymnastic shoes, and the like, having a double insole. Shoes of this kind have two insoles arranged parallel to one anotherv with a flexible midsol'e or an intermediate layer of soft material between them, so as to form a circumferential channel into which the lasting allowance of the upper is forced by the wipers of the machine and held there while the intermediate layer is being compressed.

Reference will now be had to the allround lasting machine illustrated in FIG. 1. v The numeral 10, denotes the frame of the machine which has a table top 12 on which all the more important working parts are accommodated. An upright 14 is attached to the hack of the machine frame with its upper portion bent forward so as to form a bracket in parallel with the table top 12, whichilserves to sustain the last carrying slides 28 and 34 which are bridged at their lower ends by a hold-down plate 24 for the last. A spindle and hand wheel 26. is provided by which the hold-down 24 may be moved up and down with the slides 28 and 34 serving as guides. Suitable clamps are provided on the lower surface of the hold-down plate 24 for afiixing a last 36 to it by the clamps entering the usual last hole 40 and by another part, or parts, of the hold-down being forced onto the 3 ridge 42 of the last, whereby the same is immovably clamped in position.

An upper 44 which is drawn over the last is held thereto in stretched position by clamping means still to be described at a later stage of this specification. In FIG. 1 the upper is shown to be held between two lateral arms 48, of which only one is to be seen in the figure, and which are capable of being moved toward and away from each other as by means of screw spindles or, if separate spindles are used, by a bevel gear interposed between them and turn-able by a crank 54 for example. The said arms 48 are so shaped as to hold the last with the upper attached to it in fixed but adjustable position in the machine.

The last is moved into wiping position so that there remains a clearance of only a few millimeters between the wipers and the, insole. The set of wipers which carry out the wiping of the lasting allowance is denominated by the numeral 56 in FIG. 2. For lasting a shoe having a double insole, the wipers 58, 66, 68; 74 and 76 in FIGS. 2 and 3 are moved to force the lasting allowance of the upper into the circumferential groove between the two insoles. In FIG. 1 the side wiper 60 has been omitted to alford a better view to the inside of the-wiping device and to also show the formation of the toe and heel wipers with slides 84 for their sliding cooperation with similar slides on the side wipers.

FIG. 2 shows the wiping device 56 with its wiping plates, or simply wipers as they are usually called, in their extended open position, while FIG. 3 shows them in their contracted closed position with the free inner space 82 resembling the shape of the last bottom in geometrically reduced outlines. It will be evident that in their lasting operation the side wipers 58 and 60 grip the lasting allowance, that is the lower margin of the upper, at its sides, while the toe wipers 66 and 68 grip the same at the toe end and the heel wipers 74 and 76 at the heel end of the shoe. The toe wipers are able to swing into their open and closed positions about a pivot 88 and the heel wipers about a pivot 90. While the Wipers are thus turning, these pivots 88 and -are also moved in a straight line toward each other until they come to rest against the slanted edges of the side wipers 58 and 60, so that their edges 70, 72 and 78, 80 will form the opening 82 in conjunction with the curved inner edges 62, 64 of the side wipers 58, 60 which have meanwhile also approached each other along a straight line in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the shoe.

'Ihese movements are effected by a common drive as for example by the bevel gear 148 (FIG. 4). The side wipers 58 and 60 are secured to the guide bars and 132 respectively, which are provided with depending projections or lugs at their centre, which extend into a guide slot 136 in the top plate 12. These projections are provided with tapped holes through which screw spindles 138 and 140, which are operatively connected to one another, extend through the bevel gear 148. A hand wheel 146 is fitted to the end of the spindle 140, by the turning of which the bars 130 and 132 and, therewith, the side wipers 58 and 60 are moved toward or away from each other. In the case of electric drive a motor 142 is fitted to the top plate 12 in driving connection with the screw spindle by means of a train of gear wheels 144.

Similar means as those just described are provided for the rectilinear movement of the pivots 88 and 98 of the toe and heel wipers. These means consist of a screw spindle 104 which is arranged lengthways in the slot 118 and made in two halves joined, as in the example of the side wipers, across the bevel gear 148. Guide bars 106 and 128 are provided for the support of the toe wipers 66 and 68 and of the heel wipers 74 and 76 respectively. The bars 106 and 128 are provided with downwardly extending projections through 4 which the screw spindle 104 is passed, by the turning of which, either through the hand wheel 146 or the motor 142, the pivot pins 88 and 90, and therewith, the said toe and heel wipers are moved in a longitudinal direction along the top plate 12 toward or away from each other. Arms 110 and 112 are screwed to the toe and heel wipers so that, during the rectilinear movement of .the bars 106 and 128, they will pivot about their pins 88 and 90 and thus open or close in accordance with the movement of the pins.

The guide bars 106 and 128 are moved lengthways of the table plate 12,'as aforesaid, by the screw spindle 104 to the outer end of which is fitted a gear wheel '102 (FIG. 1) which is in mesh with the pinions 100 and 101 which, on their part, are keyed to the shafts 97 and 98, by the rotation of which to the right or left the connecting rods 91, 92 are moved forward or back ward accordingly and, owing to their being pivoted with their ends to the brackets 116 of the pivoted arms 110, 112, the end wipers 66, 68 and 74, 76 are opened and closed as indicated in FIGS. -2 and 3. For the lengthwise movement of the arms guide slots 96 are provided in the top plate 12.

The heel wipers 74 and 76 at the opposite end of the wiping device are moved in the same way as the toe wipers just described by means of the gear wheels 122, 124, 126 and, therefore, require no special description. If variations in the speed or time of operation are required, the wheels of the bevel gear 148 will have to be exchanged against such of a dilferent pitch.

The machine according to the invention will preferably, through not necessarily, be used for cementing the upper to the insole. In that case the cement will have to be applied to the lasting allowance of the upper in any known or convenient manner before the shoe is introduced to the machine, whereupon the necessary pressure is exerted by a presser plate 150 which presses the lasting allowance against the last bottom from below. In the same way the outer sole 154 could be cemented to the shoe, for which purpose the shoe should be held by clamps, such as 152, in order to prevent its slipping. In this way a shoe can be lasted and soled in one open ation. If a shoe or slipper with a double insole of the kind already referred to is to be produced, it is advisable to apply the outer sole to the upper, or to the lower insole respectively, prior to lasting. For the purpose of raising the presser plate 150 against the shoe or the last, it is fastened to the top of a vertical screw spindle 156 which may be driven by a motor or by the hand wheel 158 over a suitable gear (not shown).

In the modification shown in FIG. 5 the top plate 12 is provided with upstanding bearing brackets 160, 162, 164 at right angles to one another, the fourth bearing being accommodated in the upright 14. The driving means for the movement of the wipers (not shown in this figure) is arranged below the bracket and includes the driving motor 142 with its train of gear wheels 144 already described and/or the hand wheel 146. The motor 142 drives a shaft 166 on which is a pinion 167. Turnable in the centre of the top plate 12 is a toothed annulus 170 having two circular sets of teeth, namely one upper set 178 and a lower set 168. The toothed annulus is provided inwardly with an all-round guide groove 172, while rollers 174 project radially from a fixed central plate or table 176 into the said groove 172 supporting the annulus 170 in its position relative to the said table 176.

The upper toothed rim 178 of the annulus 17 0 is adapted to mesh with pinions 180, 182, 184 and 186 on shafts 188, 190, 192 and 194 respectively which are arranged at right angles to one another and to project through the guide bars 196, 198, and 200 for the wipers 5876 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The guide bars are adapted to move in guide slots 202, and the pivotal movement of the toe and heel wipers is effected in the manner already described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. In the modification of FIG.

5 the pinions 182 and 186 have the same function as the gears 126 and 162 in FIG. 1 in that they serve for the drive of the gear wheels fill), 101, 122 and 124. In order, however, to allow pinions lilo and 161 or 122 and 124, which are in engagement with the pinions 186 and 182 (FIG. 5 a sufiicient clearance from the upper set of teeth 178, the gears lllli, 191, 122 and 224 are arranged so that the engagement between the gear wheels 186 and ldli, 191 or 182 respectively and 2122-, 124 takes place at an angle of approximately 45 between the gear wheels 182 and 186 respectively and the upper set of teeth 17% in the annulus 170. In the modification of FIG. 5 the presser plate 150 is pushed upwardly by a rack 224 which derives its movement from the hand wheel 158 over the spindle thereof and a pinion rotated thereby.

FIG. 6 shows a complete machine for the automatic lasting of shoes, in which the aforedescribed parts are illustrated in their mutual working relations. The automatic driving means, however, have been omitted for the sake of simplicity and as they are obvious to any one skilled in the art of driving machinery, whether by electric, hydraulic or pneumatic means.

Starting from the top of the figure it will be seen that a plate 16 is provided, which is stationary in its position and below which, parallel thereto, is another plate 24, capable of being moved in relation to the plate 16 as by means of piston rods 27 and 29 movable in sleeves 31 on the upper plate '16. Screw spindles 57 are journaled horizontally in the plate 24 on both sides thereof (only one being visible in the figure) and are in connection with one another through a bevel or other gear 61. Drive of the said spindles is eifected by the hand wheel 59, by the rotation of which nuts 65 are moved backward or forward on the threaded parts of the screw spindles 57. These nuts are fitted to arms 55 which, in turn, are adapted to swing on annular brackets 63, whereby the clamping member 49 for the upper 44 closes or opens accordingly.

The said clamping member 49 consists of several interconnected parts which are movable in relation to one another, the toe and heel parts 67 thereof being slideable in and out on the side members 69.

Arranged below the plate 24 is an intermediate plate 23 which can be moved up and down, similar to the plate 24, by means of a rod 21 which 'is slideable in a cylinder 19 on the stationary plate 16 and arranged to pass inefiectively through the bevel gear 61. Depending from said intermediate plate 23 is a bar 38, the lower end of which is attached to the last 36 by being introduced into the usual last hole thereof. Lateral adjustment of the intermediate plate and, therewith, of the bar 38 can be effected by means of a hand wheel 37. Pivotally connected to the intermediate plate 23 is a heel clamp 47 by means of a rod 33 and a cylinder 45 through which pressure is exerted onto the heel clamp 47.

Arranged underneath the last 35 are the wipers 56 as already described, and thereunder the gripping device 2 97, which is only diagrammatically shown in FIG. 6 but will presently be referred to in more detail. It can be adjusted in relation to the last by means of a rack 284.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings a simple embodiment of the gripping device is illustrated. The gripping means which, in their general arrangement, are denoted by the reference 207, are mounted on a plate 159 and serve to grip the lasting allowance, that is to say the lower margin of the upper 44, and to pull it downwardly in order to stretch the upper firmly over the last as is known in pulling-over and lasting machines in which, however, the action of stretching is carried out by comparatively small grippers or pincers only locally and separately at distinctive parts of the upper (toe, ball, side and heel portions for instance), whereas the gripping means in accordance with the invention seize the upper at all these parts at the same time and pull it down in one operation right around the circumference of the last bottom.

The plate 15% is provided, for the purpose, with four guide slots 21s in which the gripping members are arranged With their upwardly directed open components 212, 214, 224 and 225 for the end portions, 216, 218 for the one side, and 220, 222 for the other side of the shoe. As will be seen from FIG. 7 all these components at the sides and the ends of the shoe are normally spaced apart in order to enable the depending margin of the upper to enter into the open spaces 230 therebetween. All the gripping members, or their components respectively, are provided with lugs 228 by means of which they project into the slots 219, along which they are moved toward and away from each other by screw spindles 232 passing through the said lugs and rotated by appropriate manually or mechanically operated means (not shown). The inner members 214, 218, 220, 226, are provided with needle points or pins 234 adapted to penetrate the lasting allowance when the grippers 212, 214 close and to take into corresponding holes 236 of the outer members 212.

The gripping members for the sides and the heel portion are operated in the same manner byscrew spindles so that all gripping members will be closed in one single operation, whereupon the toe, heel, and side wipers move inwardly as already describe/.1. After this movement has been completed, the gripper parts move apart again so as to permit the lasting allowance of the upper slipping out and be pushed right under the bottom of the last or under the insole respectively. In order to ensure the leather being stripped off the pins, compression springs are provided for the purpose, as shown in FIG. 12. By the pressure which is exerted against the wipers from below, as already described with reference to FIG. 6, the previously cemented margin of the upper will be firmly adhered to the insole. As an alternative, a cement applying contrivance of any known or convenient kind may be provided and the cementing and pressing operation carried out on another, similar part of the machine to which the table with the shoe may have to be turned through an angle of degrees.

In FIG. 9 is shown a last 36 in a position similar to that shown in FIG. 6 with an upper 44 loosely attached to it, the last being held by a bar 38 (FIG. 6) taking into the last hole 40. A fitting clamp 49 similar in shape to the lower part of the upper has been placed over the last 36 and the upper 44 from above prior to the assembly being introduced to the machine. The depending parts 43 of the upper project beyond the bottom edge of the last and with its lower margin into the space between the gripper components when they are in their open position. Along its lower part the fitting clamp 49 (FIG. 9) is provided with excavations 53 into which the pins 234 penetrate when the gripper parts close.

FIG. 10 illustrates a horizontal section through another, similar form of the gripping member shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 which also corresponds in its circumference to the last bottom, one half of the figure being shown in plan view. It comprises a toe gripper part consisting of outer members 225 and inner members 227, a heel gripper part having outer members 213 and inner members 215, and side grippers comprising the outer members 219 and the inner members 221. The toe and heel parts are pivoted, as usual, on pins 229, 231 and 209, 211 respectively. The outer gripper parts are fitted with pin points 234 to retain the lasting allowance 43 of the upper in place after the gripping members have closed. At their open ends the end and side grippers overlap as shown by the numeral 205, at which places the pin points 234 are made slideable by the interposition of springs (not shown) between adjacent pin points.

. As may be seen from FIG. 9 the pin points 234 project through the excavations 53 in the fitting clamp 49, so when the gripper closes they pierce through the lasting allowance and eventually take into corresponding holes, such as 236 (FIG. 7), of the inner gripping member. It is adviseable to have all the pin points directed concentrically toward the centre of the last bottom, or

of the insole respectively, and they may be acted upon by springs to allow of a certain amount of resiliency in operation.

The toe and side members 225 and 219 as well as the heel and side members 213 and 219 of the gripper slide one upon the other at their overlapping portions 205 when the gripper components are moved to extend or contract the gripper in conformity with the size of the shoes to be made. The overlapping portions of the gripper components are in the shape of tongues 243 at the free ends of the side grippers and are adapted to slide over their likewise tongue-shaped counter parts 244 of the toe and heel grippers. Springs may be interposed as aforesaid.

FIG. 11 shows diagrammatically the means for closing and opening the toe grippers 225 and 227 just referred to by a fluid medium, preferably air. The outer members are connected to a pneumatic or other piston 272 by means of a piston rod 270. The medium acting within the cylinder 274 on the piston pushes the outer gripping member 225 against the action of springs 276 toward the inner member 227 and thus closes the gripper over the fitting clamp 49 and the lower part of the upper 44.

While .the outer gripping member 225 is adapted to slide freely in relation to the inner gripping member 227, the latter is rendered comparatively stationary, save by being integral with an angle piece 278, of which the upper horizontal arm serves as a sliding support for the member 225 which is journaled with its depending outer arm on the reduced end of a screw spindle 280, which serves for driving the bevel gear 282 by means of which the angle piece 278 can be adjusted as by turning the hand wheel 284 on a shaft 286. Preferably a spring is interposed between the depending arm of the angle piece 278 and the screw spindle 280 to allow of a certain amount of resiliency of the inner gripping member 227. The numeral 203 denotes a bar or rack on which the last 36 can be raised or lowered.

FIG. 13 illustrates the slideable connection 205 be tween the outer and the inner gripping members, of which the outer member 225 is fitted at its inside wall with pin points 234. The lasting allowance at the lower margin of the upper 44 (FIG. 11) is introduced between the inner and the outer gripping members and held there by being pierced by the pin points 234 projecting into the recesses 53 of the aforesaid fitting clamp. These pin points are fastened at their ends 239 to the inside of the outer gripping member 225 and concentrically directed toward the center of the sole or of the last, re spectively, and each may be provided with a spring 238 bearing with its free end against a retractable washer 241 which serves to hold the spring in position but permitting the lasting allowance to be pushed off when the gripping members are being opened.

In their overlapping portions 295, the gripping members 219 and 225 slide upon each other by means of tongues 242 and 243. The pin points 244 are located in slots 235 of the inner gripping member 243' and in slots 248 of the outer gripping member 242, where they are displaceably supported on longitudinally disposed pins or bars (not shown) and spacedfrom each other by springs on said bars. When the pin points are at theirnormal distance apart and the gripper members close upon each other, they pass through the lasting allowance and hold the upper until the gripper members move apart again, whereupon the springs 238 assist in pushing the upper off the pins. It is preferable to keep the recesses 53 (FIG. 9) in the fitting clamp somewhat wider at the overlapping joints than in the other parts of the grippers so as to allow of sufiicient space for the movement of the pins.

In the modification of the gripping device which is shown in FIG. 12, the actuation and the function of the gripping members are similar to those described with reference to FIG. 7 with the dilference, however, that in accordance wth FIG. 12 the movement is imparted to the gripping members by preferably air operated pistons. The gripping members are adapted to carry out three different horizontal movements, namely an adjustment according to shoe sizes by means of the hand wheel 284 (FIG. 11), a closing movement by means of the pistons 412 moving in their cylinders 376, and a movement of the grippers toward and away from each other by which movement the upper can be stretched or relaxed as required during operation. The gripping members are practically the same as have already been described with reference to FIG. 10.

The outer toe and heel gripping members are applied to the upper by the movement of bolts 364 acting in transverse slots 366 and projecting through longitudinal slots 368 in their respective ground plate 358. Tension springs 370 are provided for urging bolts 364 in a direction away from the last.

The inner toe and heel gripping members 227 and 215 are turnable on pivots 229, their swivelling movement being guided by pins 350 and curved slots 354 provided in their respective ground plate 358. The pins 350 are placed under stress by means of the tension springs 360.

The mutually opposed undulations 372 and 374 of the toe and heel gripping members serve the object of enabling a perfect grip on the uppers even if these have only a small radius of curvature and, consequently, a short length only along their outer margins, whereby slipping is practically eliminated.

Fastening of the inner side gripping members 221 to the respective supporting plate 358 is accomplished by screws 488, while the outer side members 219 are freely movable over the plates 358 in mutually opposite directions. They are closed against the inner gripping members by the pistons 412 operating in their stationary cylinders 376 preferably by compressed air as a driving medium. Friction which may occur between the overlapping portions 205 of the gripping members is eliminated by the provision of antifriction rollers or balls 414, 416 between the cooperating parts of the outer and inner gripping members.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for wiping an upper over an insole, comprising, in combination, supporting means for supporting a last with an upper, including a lower margin portion, thereon; six wiping plates including a pair of front wiping plates, a pair of heel wiping plates and a pair of lateral wiping plates, said six wiping plates having wiping edges; a first pivot supporting said front wiping plates for angular movement toward and away from each other; a second pivot supporting said heel wiping plates for angular movement toward and away from each other; means for moving said pivots toward and away from each other in a longitudinal plane 'of symmetry of the last; means connected to said front wipingplates for moving the same angularly toward each other; means connected to said heel wiping plates for moving the same toward each other during movement of said pivots toward each other and means for moving said lateral wiping plates toward and away from each other so that said front, heel and lateral wiping plates move between outer spaced positions in which said wiping edges are located spaced from each other along a continuous imaginary line substantially parallel to but longer than the outline of said last and an inner wiping position in which said wiping edges form a continuous composite edge parallel to, but shorter than said outline whereby the margin of the upper is wiped over the last without the formation of folds in the upper; and upwardly directed gripping means adapted to hold the lower rim of the upper, said gripping means comprising opposite toe gripping members, heel gripping members and side gripping members, said gripping members forming an inner gripping rim and an outer gripping rim, said toe gripping members and said heel gripping members having slide surfaces, said side gripping members having slide surfaces thereon slidingly engaging said slide surfaces on said toe and heel gripping members whereby said toe, heel and side gripping members are connected with each other; and means connected to said gripping means for drawing the same under the insole in conformity with the movement of said wiping plates.

2. A lasting machine comprising, in combination, means for supporting a last with an upper, including a lower margin portion, thereon; heel wiping means, toe Wiping means, and lateral wiping means, said wiping means having curved wiping edges and being movable in a common plane between outer spaced positions and an 15 inner wiping position in which said wiping means abut each other and form a continuous composite curved edge parallel to, but shorter than the outline of the last; toe gripping means, heel gripping means and lateral gripping means, said gripping means forming an inner gripping rim and an outer gripping rim, said toe gripping means and said heel gripping means having slide surfaces thereon, and said lateral gripping means having slide surfaces slidingly engaging said slide surfaces on said toe and heel gripping means whereby said toe, heel and lateral gripping means are connected to each other and adapted to hold the lower margin of the upper; means for moving said wiping means between said outer and inner positions so that the margin of the upper is wiped over the last and means for moving said gripping means to pull the margin of the upper in conformity with the movement of said wiping means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 10,454 2/84 Beal 12-12 308,527 11/84 Smith 1212 353,145 11/86 Laskey 1210.1 502,506 8/93 Whiifen et al l2-10.l 511,906 1/94 OBolger l2-12 1,016,769 2/12 Party l212 1,142,556 6/15 Engel 12145 2,235,888 3/41 Kamborian 1210.8 X 2,697,844 12/54 Auman 1212 2,885,699 5/59 Ronza l2-145 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiners. 

1. A MACHINE FOR WIPING AN UPPER OVER AN INSOLE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A LAST WITH AN UPPER, INCLUDING A LOWER MARGIN PORTION, THEREON; SIX WIPING PLATES INCLUDING A PAIR OF FRONT WIPING PLATES, A PAIR OF HEEL WIPING PLATES AND A PAIR OF LATERAL WIPING PLATES, SAID SIX WIPING PLATES HAVING WIPING EDGES; A FIRST PIVOT SUPPORTING SAID FRONT WIPING PLATES FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER; A SECOND PIVOT SUPPORTING SAID HEEL WIPING PLATES FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PIVOTS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IN A LONGITUDINAL PLANE OF SYMMETRY OF THE LAST; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRONT WIPING PLATES FOR MOVING THE SAME ANGULARLY TOWARD EACH OTHER; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID HEEL WIPING PLATES FOR MOVING THE SAME TOWARD EACH OTHER DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID PIVOTS TOWARD EACH OTHER AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LATERAL WIPING PLATES TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER SO THAT SAID FRONT, HEEL AND LATERAL WIPING PLATES MOVE BETWEEN OUTER SPACED POSITIONS IN WHICH SAID WIPING EDGES ARE LOCATED SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG A CONTINUOUS IMAGINARY LINE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO BUT LONGER THAN 